TOM’S CREATION PLANTATION
Director: Cyrus Sutton
An A Peel Production
TRT 22 mins. surf film / 22mins. instructional
DVD Bonus features 10 mins.
Street Date: March 29, 2010
Film Synopsis
From filmmaker Cyrus Sutton (Under the Sun and Riding Waves) comes a look at the Alai’a surfboard resurgence and the creative world of surfboard builder Tom Wegener.
Tom Wegener and his brother Jon have opened the door to surfing’s future by reintroducing the Alai’a, an ancient wooden surf craft devoid of fins, foam or rocker. Their practical synthesis of eclectic sustainable materials and sleek traditional design has propelled surfing into an exhilarating new realm. At first glance, the Alai’a’s spare appearance belies its unbelievable capacity for speed and maneuverability. Alai’a surfers are redefining performance surfing with critical tube rides, long sweeping cutbacks and drifting 360’s while displaying a grace and flow that is unique to this friction-free craft.
With an innovative half surf film/ half shaping tutorial format,TOM’S CREATION PLANTATION shares Tom’s story while giving you the working knowledge to build your own Alai’a. Shot on location in Australia, Hawaii and California,this DVD pack features a surf film highlighting Alia’a surfing, an instructional in which Tom Wegner walks you through the steps of shaping your own Alia’a and a bonus piece in which his brother Jon goes over the essentials of Alia’a ding repair. Also included is Tutorial booklet, so you have a reference while shaping, as well as a postcard featuring imagery by Cyrus Sutton.
We are pleased to announce that the packaging for this project is from 100% recycled paper, printed with vegetable based inks and a unique pocket system that does not require plastic on the interior of the case. This innovative and environmentally forward design is the result of a collaboration of Korduroy.tv with GreenerPrinter (www.greenerprinter.com).
A perfect wave is relative to the surfcraft on which it is ridden. There are perfect waves all around us, its just a matter of opening our minds…
Price: $29.95 Including Domestic Shipping ( +$5.00 shipping International )
Domestic (US)
International
Tom’s Creation Plantation DIY Alai’a Kit
Not all wood is created equal, even the lightest pine weighs between 22-24 pounds per cubic foot. Paulownia wood is a very special breed- it weighs 15-16 pounds per cubic foot on average (only a few pounds more than bolsa), yet doesn’t soak up water. The result is a long-lasting board which won’t warp, doesn’t splinter when shaping, is easy to repair, and requires a minimal amount of natural oil to keep it high and dry.
Riding a Paulownia wood alai’a will dramatically improve your surfing experience. There isn’t much buoyancy to an alaia, but every little bit helps because catching a wave hinges upon the surface tension. Surface tension = the board’s outline + the speed you generate while paddling .
Here are the steps to catching a wave on an Alai’a
1) Sitting neck deep in the lineup you see a wave approaching and take a deep breath filling your lungs with air causing you to float up to the surface
2) Holding on to the rails of your board, get your torso horizontal and spin your board shoreward like you would a normal surfboard
3) Here’s the key- Keeping your breath in, start paddling quickly once your board floats up to your chest, the first couple of strokes you’ll be replying on the board’s buoyancy pushing against your chest. If you let go of your breath, you’ll sink the nose of the board underwater.
*with a paulownia wood board the alaia will spring up to your chest. the heavier the board the longer it takes the board to rise to the surface and the less tension you’ll have to work with in those crucial opening seconds.
4) Once you’ve got some momentum you can slowly let your air out because the surface tension you’ve created by paddling will hold your weight.
5) At this point it’s like a normal surfboard, just keep paddling hard and you’re in the wave.
Jon and Tom Wegener have researched all kinds of Paulownia and they have selected the lightest and strongest varieties suited to alai’a riding.
Every one of our kits comes with
- - paulownia wood blank
- - template
- - paulownia sanding block
- - director signed Tom’s Creation Plantation DVD ECOpack with shaping instructional booklet and Korduroy postcard
Price: $265.00
Domestic (US)
International
Please Contact Us for International Orders
photo by John Cocozza
Korduroy/Wegener Handplane Kits
Any mat riding, alai’a loving, carbon-fiber-flex-tail-pumping, or Greenough-inspired-mat-rider will tell you- “The greatest unsolved mystery in surfing is flex.” But none of these even come close to the unique flex patterns achieved by the combination of wrists, elbows, shoulders, spinal vertebrae, stomach muscles, knees, ankles and fins. And adding a handplane to your rig transforms you into a lethal wave sliding machine.
Paulownia wood is the ultimate handplane and alai’a wood- it’s unique water resistant properties will make your board ultra buoyant and long-lasting and its smooth grain and light density makes shaping a breeze.
Our Korduroy/Wegener Handplane kits include a block of paulownia wood with Cyrus’s original template, a piece of webbing for a handle and paulownia sanding block.
Price: $50.00
Domestic (US)
International
Please Contact Us for International Orders
